Although blood capillaries were first observed through a flea-lens microscope by Malpighi in 1661,200 more years elapsed before the cellular nature of the vessel wall was conclusively demonstrated. Beginning with the middle of the 19th cen tury, our knowledge of the histological organization of blood vessels has steadily increased. However, the endothelium, which for a long time was considered to be just an inert barrier lining, had been barely explored until three decades ago. Since then, there has been an upsurge of interest in the fine structure and function of endothelial cells. Intense in vivo and in vitro investigations have revealed that the endothelial cell is a key element in a wide variety of normal activities and diseases. A large number of investigators and laboratories have been attracted to endothelial cell research, thus supporting the expansion of the continuously grow ing and diversifying field of endotheliology. The number of articles published annually on this subject has increased from a few score at the beginning of the 1970s to more than a thousand in recent years, and an increasing number of journals, books, societies, and symposia focused primarily on the vascular en dothelium have marked the last decade.

The participation of endothelial cells in various physiologic and pathologic processes has been hypothesized since before the turn of the century. However, until recently, direct evidence for endothelial involvement in these processes has been extremely difficult to obtain due to the inability to study endothelial cell function in vitro. Though the possibility of using cultured endothelial cells to study endothelial cell function in vitro was recognized many years ago, the inability to culture unambiguously identifiable endothelial cells limited investigators in their studies of endothelial function. As a result, the field of endothelial cell biology lay relatively fallow for many years. The development in the early 1970's of routine and easily implemented methods for culturing human endothelial cells and the demonstration that cultured endothelial cells synthesized a physiologically relevant protein, Factor VIII/von Willebrand Factor, quickly changed this state of affairs. Over the following decade the scope of endothelial cell research rapidly widened, spreading in a number of directions. First, methods were developed to culture endothelial cells from a variety of species. Second, methods were developed to culture endothelial cells from different organs and types of blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries) within a single species. Third, and most important, investigators began using cultured endothelial cells as tools to study the potential involvement of endothelial cells in a wide assortment of biologically interesting processes. The net result has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of endothelial cell function.

It is only during the last decade that the functions of sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, pit cells and other intrahepatic lymphocytes have been better understood. The development of methods for isolation and co-culturing various types of liver cells has established that they communicate and cooperate via secretion of various intercellular mediators. This monograph summarizes multiple data that suggest the important role of cellular cross-talk for the functions of both normal and diseased liver. Special features of the book include concise presentation of the majority of detailed data in 19 tables. Original schemes allow for the clear illustration of complicated intercellular relationships. This is the first ever presentation of the newly emerging field of liver biology, which is important for hepatic function in health and disease and opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions.

Mechanobiology in Health and Disease brings together contributions from leading biologists, clinicians, physicists and engineers in one convenient volume, providing a unified source of information for researchers in this highly multidisciplinary area. Opening chapters provide essential background information on cell mechanotransduction and essential mechanobiology methods and techniques. Other sections focus on the study of mechanobiology in healthy systems, including bone, tendons, muscles, blood vessels, the heart and the skin, as well as mechanobiology studies of pregnancy. Final chapters address the nascent area of mechanobiology in disease, from the study of bone conditions, skin diseases and heart diseases to cancer. A discussion of future perspectives for research completes each chapter in the volume. This is a timely resource for both early-career and established researchers working on mechanobiology. - Provides an essential digest of primary research from many fields and disciplines in one convenient volume - Covers both experimental approaches and descriptions of mechanobiology problems from mathematical and numerical perspectives - Addresses the hot topic of mechanobiology in disease, a particularly dynamic field of frontier science

International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology reviews and details current advances in cell and molecular biology. The IRCMB series has a worldwide readership, maintaining a high standard by publishing invited articles on important and timely topics that are authored by prominent cell and molecular biologists. The articles published in IRCMB have a high impact and an average cited half-life of 9 years. This great resource ranks high amongst scientific journals dealing with cell biology. - Publishes only invited review articles on selected topics - Authored by established and active cell and molecular biologists and drawn from international sources - Offers a wide range of perspectives on specific subjects

Although blood capillaries were first observed through a flea-lens microscope by Malpighi in 1661,200 more years elapsed before the cellular nature of the vessel wall was conclusively demonstrated. Beginning with the middle of the 19th cen tury, our knowledge of the histological organization of blood vessels has steadily increased. However, the endothelium, which for a long time was considered to be just an inert barrier lining, had been barely explored until three decades ago. Since then, there has been an upsurge of interest in the fine structure and function of endothelial cells. Intense in vivo and in vitro investigations have revealed that the endothelial cell is a key element in a wide variety of normal activities and diseases. A large number of investigators and laboratories have been attracted to endothelial cell research, thus supporting the expansion of the continuously grow ing and diversifying field of endotheliology. The number of articles published annually on this subject has increased from a few score at the beginning of the 1970s to more than a thousand in recent years, and an increasing number of journals, books, societies, and symposia focused primarily on the vascular en dothelium have marked the last decade.

The vascular endothelium lining the inner surface of blood vessels serves as the first interface for circulating blood components to interact with cells of the vascular wall and surrounding extravascular tissues. In addition to regulating blood delivery and perfusion, a major function of vascular endothelia, especially those in exchange microvessels (capillaries and postcapillary venules), is to provide a semipermeable barrier that controls blood–tissue exchange of fluids, nutrients, and metabolic wastes while preventing pathogens or harmful materials in the circulation from entering into tissues. During host defense against infection or tissue injury, endothelial barrier dysfunction occurs as a consequence as well as cause of inflammatory responses. Plasma leakage disturbs fluid homeostasis and impairs tissue oxygenation, a pathophysiological process contributing to multiple organ dysfunction associated with trauma, infection, metabolic disorder, and other forms of disease. In this book, we provide an updated overview of microvascular endothelial barrier structure and function in health and disease. The discussion is initiated with the basic physiological principles of fluid and solute transport across microvascular endothelium, followed by detailed information on endothelial cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions and the experimental techniques that are employed to measure endothelial permeability. Further discussion focuses on the signaling and molecular mechanisms of endothelial barrier responses to various stimulations or drugs, as well as their relevance to several common clinical conditions. Taken together, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of microvascular endothelial cell and molecular pathophysiology. Such information will assist scientists and clinicians in advanced basic and clinical research for improved health care.

Tissue Barriers in Disease, Injury and Regeneration focuses on the molecular and cellular fundamentals of homeostatic and defense responses of tissue barriers, covering the damaging impacts and exposure to pathogens and engineered nanomaterials. Sections emphasize the role of mesenchymal stoma, vascular, epithelial, telocyte, myofibroblast, lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells, along with reactions that bridge the effects of ambient factors, medical treatments, drag delivery systems with alterations in barrier integrity, tissue/organ functions, and metabolic status. Other sections cover the role of progenitor cells of different origins in the remodeling and regeneration of tissue stroma, vasculature of blood-tissue barriers, and more. - Includes special emphasis on the role of mesenchymal stoma, vascular, epithelial, telocyte, myofibroblast, lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells in the development of reactions that bridge the effects of ambient factors, medical treatments, drag delivery systems with alterations in barrier integrity, tissue/organ functions, and in metabolic status - Examines the role of progenitor cells of different origins in the remodeling and regeneration of tissue stroma, the vasculature of blood-tissue barriers, and mucosa and external epithelium

Stellate Cells in Health and Disease is a comprehensive reference providing the most up-to-date knowledge and perspectives on the function of stellate cells affecting the liver and other organs. The text presents comprehensive coverage of their already established role in hepatic fibrosis along with the newer emerging evidence for stellate cell participation in the liver cell (hepatocyte) survival and regeneration, hepatic immunobiology, transplant tolerance, and liver cancer. Chapters describe both animal and human research and the relevance of findings from animal research to human pathophysiology, and also contain sections on future directions which will be of special interest to basic and clinical researchers working on liver fibrosis, hepatic biology, and pathobiology. - Presents coverage of the mechanisms of liver fibrosis with stellate cells as a target for therapy. - Shows stellate cells as a major participant in hepatic immunobiology, including transplantation immunology. - Key illustrations show the phenotypical changes in stellate cells in situ and tissue culture, their interactions with other cell types, signaling pathways and demonstrate the functions and roles of stellate cell in pathological processes.